Educational Networking With Ning

Educational Networking with Ning by Jacqueline Beaupré

In the BeginNing As education innovators and technology enthusiasts, we must keep up with new Web 2.0 resources and identify which can be effectively integrated into the classroom. How can we safely harness technology to help students become educated, innovative, and engaged members of their world? With the advent of MySpace and Facebook, social networks have blossomed into widely accepted global communities for sharing information. Educators have begun to use them for developing professional learning networks, but their application in the classroom is still highly debated. As a secure, free, group-based, and highly customizable portal for networking, Ning addresses many concerns in the academic community and promises to have extraordinary applications in the secondary school classroom.

RunNing Circles around the Competitors Ning (found at www.ning.com) is beginning to dominate the educational networking niche by focusing on the group, committing to respect the budgetary and privacy concerns of the educational community, and affording generous but facile creative control. Network Focus. MySpace

and Facebook were not originally designed for collaboration. As their names imply, they merely serve as profile-based user directories. It is unsurprising that students, yearning for the easiest and trendiest modes of self-expression, rapidly adopt such individualistic and interconnected, yet simultaneously anonymous, registries. Facebook's introduction of groups and a variety of add-on applications is helping it develop some collaborative potential, but the

EDUC-E102: Introduction to Educational Technologies. Harvard University Extension School. November 21, 2009.

individual's profile persists as the hub of action. This focus hardly aligns with the classroom, an environment that thrives on communication in a community atmosphere. Ning hosts communities rather than MySpace or Facebook-esque individuals. This is evident from the homepage, where visitors are prompted to start their own network or join a featured one, not to immediately create an individual profile. Members naturally begin to define themselves by associating with like-minded groups and contributing individual perspectives within the parameters set by those chosen networks. In this way, Ning essentially mirrors the structure of a realworld classroom and forces students to express themselves within the frameworks of their virtual environment. Free of Fees. Use of the Ning community is

“free” to everyone courtesy of cost-defraying targeted Google advertisements. To remove these unprofessional distractions, average users must subscribe and pay a monthly fee of $24.95. Educators, however, can submit a special request to have advertisements removed from their class sites for free. This ad-free option at no cost is a clear advantage that Ning has over other powerhouse social networks. For example, Wikispaces and Edublogs require a membership fee to eliminate advertisements on their educational websites. MySpace and Facebook do not even have ad-free options for educators. Privacy Capabilities. All Ning members

have a link to report inappropriate content on every page and network creators can empower some members with administrative control to help ensure their network is clean. In addition, recent changes to Ning have drastically enhance privacy and limited illegitimate usage. These improvements have increased security in the classroom and showcase the Ning administrators' desires to improve the

quality of their website based on usage data. One of the most significant changes prevents members from being able to generally search for networks of interest. Based on hints in the Ning administrators' blog, they might include a search feature that suggests networks based on one's interests as a substitute. Network creators already had significant control over privacy settings by being able to determine their websites' levels of public visibility, so these changes make it nearly impossible to stumble into a network. Creators can set up their network so that members must be approved before they can see content on their network, search members, and contribute to the community's body of work. If any usage violations occur, creators also have disciplinary powers; they can delete contributions or even entire members from the network, known as “banning” those individuals. Recently Ning started a “suspending” option that, unlike banning, allows the network creator to keep the suspect individual's work on the site and just strip them of access. Suspended individuals can also be reapproved later. This change could be really useful for educators. Rather than having to permanently deleting a student's work when banned, they can give them a virtual “time out” and just temporarily suspend them until the violations are addressed. It could also be used to delete course graduates without deleting their contributions. The high level of control available to Ning network creators supports most school systems' Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) mandates and has become a standard for class websites. Similar options appear on other popular education networks, such as the Elgg and the Edublogs. It is an advantage over Facebook, where groups may be “invisible” to the public and administration privileges in them controlled to some degree by the group's creator, but where regulation cannot reach individuals' profiles. The

EDUC-E102: Introduction to Educational Technologies. Harvard University Extension School. November 21, 2009.

students' profiles cannot be protected or eliminated even though they may be associated with the school. It should be noted that individual profile problems are less likely to occur on Ning because users have subprofiles for each network they join in addition to their main profile page. Students (and educators) can therefore have a school-approved profile following AUPs for their educational network and a more relaxed ones for social networks. Simplified Creative Control. Ning networks

are simple to build, yet extremely versatile in appearance and structure. Creators are given a basic scaffold to work from and guided through the process of customization. Everything from the background art and network language to the features available to members is at the discretion of the administrators. In addition, a “Manage” tab on every network allows administrators to alter their website at any moment. The standard website features provided by Ning, added WordPress dashboard style, include network subgroups, forums, blogs, pictures, videos, calendars, RSS feeds, recent activity updates, etc. The plasticity afforded by Ning is especially useful for educators who want to adjust based on the needs of the day and not be tied to permanent or inflexible social networks like Facebook. For example, Google Chat and the Facebook chat feature are often too tempting for students, especially those whose school has an extended day and who want to chat with friends from other school systems. The chat feature on Ning networks, in addition to only being available to network members, can be selectively activated, such as on the night before a final exam to field any lastminute questions.

WinNing Features for Classroom Networks Discussion Forums. The main forum serves

as the family dinner table of network discussions. They can be brief solicitations for help or lengthy blog-style posts sparking conversation. The comments can be threaded (indented, also known as “nesting,” directly after the original discussion post) and tagged by subject. While individual members can have their own pages and traditional blogs, comments cannot be threaded or tagged. Thus, discussion forums likely encourage a more engaging and dynamic classroom blogging experience. Obviously, creating a location to discuss topics and reflect upon ideas is not enough; educators must work with students to set up an environment with clear goals and expectations for blogging. Doing so will not only help students become more creative writers, but will also coach them in proper netiquette. Students must be encouraged to engage in meaningful discourse on an educational network as opposed to just lurking, a common default role on the social networks with which they are more familiar. Well-defined and accepted rules about the frequency and content of network contributions foster a productive community. Given the ubiquity of digital networking beyond the classroom, learning safe and courteous communication over the internet could be viewed as a life skill. Groups. Within

their Ning networks, administrators can create subgroups. These factions have their own lists of members, links, and discussion forums. While the main forum may be sufficient for small classes, the groups feature allows educators teaching more than one section to create separate areas for each class. Doing so would maintain the close community experienced in the classroom without sacrificing potential opportunities for collaboration among

EDUC-E102: Introduction to Educational Technologies. Harvard University Extension School. November 21, 2009.

sections. Differentiation can be difficult to address in large classrooms, but Ning groups allow educators to simultaneously target the needs of subsets of students within the class. Gifted students could be challenged with more demanding discussions. Groups could also be used to coordinate Since group forum content can be made only viewable to members, it could also serve as a place for parent-studentteacher communication. A staple of social networking is the sharing of popular media. Educators can use their Ning network to share relevant music, videos, pictures, or even textbook figures. Alternatively, students could incorporate media into projects and post them to the network. For example, students working on that dreaded SAT vocabulary could post their cognitively rich Brainyflix flashcards to their Language Arts classroom Ning network for the whole class to enjoy and learn from (and save expensive color printing cost, too). Students creating class video projects in a foreign language or documenting a science laboratory could post their videos on the network. Transparency and peer evaluation can be used to engender enthusiasm for higher quality work or interest in the community itself. If parents or school administrators are network members, then they would also get a snapshot of classroom events. Multimedia.

Events. At face value, the standard calendar

feature is perfect for publicizing class deadlines. If modifiable by members, then it would also be useful for coordinating project or study groups outside of class. Going beyond the classroom, it could serve as a tool to introduce events related to the network's interests. For example, the class could be reading passages from Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, and would be interested to know that he has an upcoming public speaking engagement at Boston University—a thirty

minute ride from the school. Educators can pique student and parent engagement, even going so far as to embed a Google map. The idea that learning does not stop outside the classroom can begin within it. RSS Feeds. Educators

can use an RSS feed on their network page to subtly import related, but otherwise missed, external perspectives. In an age of information overload, learning how to easily access news and opinions by having them delivered to you is a useful skill for students. Ning, like many educational networking sites before it, is completely ready for Google analytics implementation. Using Google analytics to track web traffic is a subtle but infinitely useful feature because it gives the network creator mountains of usage data with which he or she can improve the classroom community as well as maximize the network's effectiveness. If you discover that no students viewed the study guides posted on your network, then you will know to check the links and remind the class to use them. If you see that students spend the least amount of time on the forum and the most on their network profile, then you can redirect their attention. You could even see how frequently project groups use their Ning group page to collaborate in order to see if the feature is worth continuing. Analytics.

Applications. Ning apps, widgets that

network creators can add to their website to enhance functionality, are possibly the networking site's most promising feature. Want members to share Google docs? Spend down-time answering review questions? Be intrigued by a Twitter tracker? The number of Facebook and iPhone apps increase exponentially, so it is only a matter of time before there are Ning apps for virtually anything. Tech-savvy users are already creating apps, such as text translators, to fit their individual needs and sharing them with the Ning community.

EDUC-E102: Introduction to Educational Technologies. Harvard University Extension School. November 21, 2009.

RemaiNing Concerns

Resources

Like many websites, users must at least thirteen years old. This limits classroom usage to grade 7 and higher.

Admin. (2009, November 21). Browse MySpace Friends and Profiles. Retrieved from http://browseusers.myspace.com/Browse/Browse.as px

Age Restrictions.

All online networks risk misuse. If not properly supervised, students could endanger or embarrass themselves and others by failing to self-monitor. Cyber-bullying and the posting of inappropriate pictures seem to be the most common threats. Just as in the real world, discussing the expectations for conduct and utilizing good classroom management will discourage violations of the school's AUP. Learning about safe internet usage in less exposed networks can help students prepare for more public ones. Potential for Student Misuse.

Admin. (2009). Facebook: Help Center: Groups: Creating and Running a Group. Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=826 Admin. (2009). Features: Edublogs: Teacher and Student Blogs. Retrieved from http://edublogs.org/features/ Admin. (2009, August 31). How to Request Ad Removal from an Educational Network. Retrieved from http://education.ning.com/page/page/show? id=1027485:Page:45750 Admin. Ning Blog. (2009, November 21). Retrieved from http://blog.ning.com/

Networks for LearNing

Admin. (2009, November 21). Ning in Education. Retrieved from http://education.ning.com/

Educators are slow to trust user-driven platforms given the potential for misuse. As a society we defend freedom of expression, but rightly fear such power in the hands of naïve students. The most popular social networks to date either ignore this concern or charge a fee to address it. In contrast, Ning ameliorates the concern by allowing educators to easily create versatile websites that can encourage students to grow as individuals in a collaborative and closely monitored community. The Ning administrators have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to improving the Ning experience for educators and students, as evidenced by frequent updates and the creation of a “Ning in Education” network. In addition to its outstanding features, this active support for educators indicates that Ning will become a critical resource for webbased classroom networking.

Admin. (2009, November 21). Wikispaces: Private Label for K-12 Educators. Retrieved from http://www.wikispaces.com/site/privatelabel/k-12 Estes, Kim. (2007, November 15). Help... We're Being Overrun! Retrieved from http://education.ning.com/forum/topics/1027485:To pic:12644 Hargadon, S. (2009, November 21). Classroom 2.0. Retrieved from http://www.classroom20.com/ Hargadon, S. (2007, September 17). Forums, Blogs, Groups and More in Ning. Retrieved from http://education.ning.com/forum/topics/1027485:To pic:2301 Nash, S. (2009, November 21). Principles of biology: bringing life and living things into focus. Retrieved from http://mwsu-bio101.ning.com/ Susan. (2009, November 21). Translated: Gadgets, Widgets, and Whatever to Add Translation Functions to your Ning. Retrieved from http://translated.ning.com/

EDUC-E102: Introduction to Educational Technologies. Harvard University Extension School. November 21, 2009.